Categories

Location

This photo was taken on a game trail near Kitwanga, BC, Canada while out for a drive. I stopped my vehicle and positioned myself along the trail ahead of the coyote. Sure enough it emerged through the wet brush and was directly in front of me. I took a couple quick photos while it was walking towards me before moving out of its path so it could continue on its way.

Time

I was out early in the morning this day but didn't find this coyote until early afternoon.

Lighting

It was overcast the day I took this photo, which happens to be my personal favourite weather conditions for photographing wildlife. It allows for nice and even lighting throughout the image.

Equipment

This was taken handheld with a Canon 1D mk IV and a Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens.

Inspiration

My inspiration for this photo, and pretty much all photos I take, is to give people an opportunity to see an animal or place that they might not get a chance to see themselves. It's always a challenge finding a wild animal, and an even bigger challenge having one cooperate long enough to get a photo, which makes the images that much more special in the end.

Editing

For this photo I just did some basic exposure, white balance, saturation, and contrast edits. Typically all I try to do is bring the image back to how it was in real life. All my images are imported in to Lightroom where I do my selections, and ones that make the cut are exported to Photoshop for editing.

In my camera bag

When out searching for wildlife I usually have my Canon 1D mk IV attached to my Canon 500mm f/4 L IS lens, mounted to a Wimberley gimbal head and gitzo carbon fiber tripod. This is all usually carried on my shoulders/neck and I have an fstop camera backpack for the rest of my gear, including a Canon 5D mk II, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L, and a Manfrotto ball head. I also make sure to have a hot shoe bubble level, spare batteries and memory cards, elastics and a garbage bag for a quick rain cover, and a GoPro Hero4 Silver.

Feedback

In terms of photographing wildlife, knowing your subject is one of the most important things. Behaviour, location, food sources, etc., are all things you should know about your subject before heading out searching for it. This way the odds will be in your favour and you'll have a better chance of seeing something!